Christmas Shadow Matching Printable for Preschoolers

Matching a Christmas picture to its silhouette gives preschoolers a simple way to practice looking closely. This printable offers 24 holiday designs, from cookies and a gingerbread house to a stocking and Christmas tree, with several ways to use the cards at home or in a classroom.

The activity takes little preparation: choose the pages you want, print them, cut out the cards and mix the pictures with their matching shadows. Children can begin with just a few pairs and work up to more as they get comfortable. There’s no reading involved, so the cards can suit preschoolers, kindergarten centers or homeschool activities.

What shadow matching practices

Each card shows a holiday object, while its partner shows the same object as a solid black silhouette. To find a pair, children look at the shape and details rather than relying on color or decoration. They might notice the outline of a bell, the placement of a bow or the branches on a tree.

That careful comparison gives children practice spotting similarities and differences and considering their choices before placing a card. You can support the activity by asking what clues helped them decide. A question such as “Which shadow has a bow on top?” turns a quick match into a chance to describe what they see.

What’s in the printable

The free PDF has 16 pages, with color and black-and-white versions. It includes two groups of 12 pictures:

• Christmas cookies: designs include a gingerbread house, snow globe, reindeer, mitten and angel.
• Other Christmas pictures: designs include a present, bell, Santa hat, stocking, candy cane and Christmas tree.

The cards are laid out six to a page, with three matching pairs on each page. You can print only the pages that fit your plan. If you don’t have a color printer, the black-and-white pages work too; children can color the outline pictures before playing.

Prepare the cards

You’ll need paper or cardstock and scissors. A laminator is optional, but it can help the cards hold up through repeated use. Cardstock makes them sturdier; regular paper is also suitable for a one-time activity.

1. Download the PDF using the link below.
2. Choose and print the pages you want to use, on regular paper or cardstock.
3. Cut apart the pictures and shadows along the printed lines.
4. Laminate the pieces if you want to reuse them. Cut the cards apart first, then trim each laminated piece while leaving a small sealed edge.
5. Mix the cards and begin matching.

For a classroom set or an activity you plan to bring out again, laminated cards may be easier to handle and store. Keep the finished pieces together in a small container or zip-top bag so they’re ready for another turn.

Four ways to play

Match pictures and shadows. Place a few silhouettes on the table, then ask your child to find and set each picture beside its partner. Three or four pairs are a manageable starting point for a younger preschooler. Add more when the first set feels familiar; there’s no need to use all 24 pairs at once.

Sort the pictures. Mix the image cards and invite your child to separate the cookie designs from the other Christmas objects. Talk about the clues that make a picture look like a cookie. This uses the same cards for a different kind of comparison.

Play a memory game. Print two copies of the picture pages you’ve chosen. Lay the cards face down and take turns turning over two at a time. Keep identical pictures as a pair, and turn unmatched cards face down again. A small selection of cards helps children learn the routine without facing too many choices at once.

Name and describe what you see. Invite your child to name the objects and point out details that distinguish one card from another. Prompts such as “Which stocking has the toe pointing this way?” encourage children to explain how they found a match.

Use it at home or in a classroom

For a classroom center, put the selected picture and shadow cards on a tray where children can spread them out and see their options. You might offer the cookie set first, then bring out the other Christmas pictures on another day. Small groups can take turns, while children working independently can match at their own pace.

At home, place a handful of pairs on a table for a short, quiet activity during a busy season. A few minutes is enough to practice matching; the game doesn’t need to become a long lesson. If your child finds the cards easy, add more pairs or ask them to describe the shape clues they used.

Download the printable

Download the free Christmas shadow matching printable. Choose the pages you’d like, print them and prepare as many pairs as suit your child or group.

For other matching activities, explore fruit and vegetable shadow matching, crayon letter matching, apple letter matching and a popsicle matching game. Browse the site’s free printables for more activities.